Comatose
by BrokenOutlaw
Summary: He was living the dream...But their world was always comatose. How do you wake up when its the only life you know?
1. Chapter 1

He smiled. His hands waved the guns. He was on top of the world. He looked down at the table below him. From atop the ladder he could see almost every set of eyes in the crowd. they were cheering him on. roaring in excitement. In his eyes, nothing could go wrong. This was the best feeling in the world. They encouraged him. They chanted "hardy!". His heart pounded in his chest. He shrugged his shoulders and in a swift moment jumped, curling into the swonton and landing through the table. The crowd roared. They stood on their feet. This was extreme. This is what they lived for. The table shattered, the opponent crumbled. But in the front row, one kid fell silent. Jeff was unmoving. A crumbled heap in a broken table. His head thrown back. The kid had heard the sickening thud the loudest….and then one by one, the crowd fell silent...

He never felt it. He never heard it. He couldn't remember the landing. Couldn't remember the sound. And light had faded. He lived in a dream. Just pictures, flickering. Nothing real. Yet still there. And she sat beside him….her hand entangled in his, the tears falling from her eyes, her body trembled. He never felt her. He never saw her. But she never left him. Just like the dream, she was still there.

"How is he?" Matt asked as he walked into the hospital room. Beth hadnt moved. Her hand still held jeff's. Her eyes still fixed on his closed eyes. Jeff hadnt moved either. The machines beeped, the tubes in a tangled mess around him. He was pale, he was cold, almost frozen. His expression peaceful, but his face not looking quite the same as it once had. The neckbrace made him look trapped. Beth turned to face Matt. Her tear stained cheeks red. Her eyes swollen and glistening with emotion in the bright hospital lights. "No change" she replied, her face moved back to Jeff. She stared at his pale face, and his colored hair, bright against the white pillow and sheets. Fragments of facepaint still evident near his right ear. She closed her eyes and tried to picture how he used to be. The brightness in his eyes, that sparkle. The colour in his face, sometimes overtanned, yet still beautiful. The dimples when he smiled a toothy grin. His lips….how she missed those lips on hers. If she thought hard enough, she could almost still feel them. Her eyes opened, and tears leaked out once again. He wasn't like that anymore. But he was still the same person.

Matt pulled a chair beside her and glanced at his brother. The image destroyed him inside and he didn't like to look too much. He put on his brave face and turned to Beth. She looked at him and her face curved into a sad look. Matt put his arms out, and pulled her into a hug. She sobbed and her body rose as she cried like she had never cried before. Each breath was an effort. Matt rubbed her back trying to assure her, but looking over her shoulder at Jeff lying there, he knew there was nothing he could do to make her feel any better…there were no guarantees that the man she knew would ever come back to them.

Shannon walked in and sat down in the armchair beside the bed. "Hey jeff!" he said confidently. In his heart he knew it was still jeff, and jeff was his best friend. "I planted some more of them shrubs today, when you get home you'll be able to see them….the yard's looking good. I thought when im done i could get some of the cuttings off for you and beth to plant outside the crib. That would look pretty cool…." everyone talked to jeff like he was already gone. Not Shannon. Shannon looked at his friend. he surveyed the damage. Even under the neckbrace, the bones of jeff's neck jutting out were still evident. Broken in 3 places they had said. Jeff lay straight, as if he were tied to an ironing board. His tailbone, completely cracked. His ankle, even through the bandage still lay in an awkward way. The archilles tendon snapped when he had hit the table. The doctors hadnt bandaged his arm, but the cuts were evident. The shafts of the table had sliced it up. Cuts and bruises made their way up his pale arm, darting through his tattoos. They no longer bled, but still looked deep. And then came the concussion. a "coma" the doctors had told them. and had said they were 'unsure at this stage' how much damage had actually been done. There was no guaranteeing he would wake up, but there was an ounce of hope. There was also no guaranteeing that he wouldn't wake up….and thats how shannon saw it.

beth sat in the cafeteria. Her coffee sat untouched. Her eyes stared at the floor, focusing on the tiles. Her mind was blank. She couldn't comprehend anything. She was just empty. her face was tear stained and her eyes dark from sleep deprivation. Like a zombie, she sat in silence. Matt and Shannon bought their trays over and sat down beside her. They both looked at her, worried. "have you eaten anything?" asked Matt. She jumped at the sound. She shook her head, her eyes still locked on the floor. "Have you slept at all?" asked Shannon. She remained silent, and she once again shook her head. Her hair was wet from crying and messy. She hadnt left the hospital for 3 days now, alternating between jeff's side and the cafeteria if matt and shannon could manage to drag her down there. "Maybe you should stay at mine tonight. Theres always spare rooms there. We can just have a quiet night, watch some movies maybe….." suggested Matt. his voice trailed off when he noticed beth was still focused on the ground. "Beth?" he said quietly. She looked at him, her face pale, her eyes darting around matts face. She blinked as if she was completely oblivious to anything. "beth i think you need to get away from this place. Its not healthy to be here all the time." he told her. She blinked again and opened her mouth but no sound came out. Shannon turned to Matt. "We need to get her out of here" he said. Matt agreed.

Jeff was dreaming. Images projected through his mind. He was in the field back home. Sitting amongst the yellow flowers that grew there. He was watching a kid run around in front of him. The kid had dark hair, he looked to be about 2yrs old. The little boy picked up a dandelion and blew the fluff off it. The seeds trailed in the wind, and jeff watched them with his eyes. He smiled. He heard a voice. "Look at the camera for Mama….good boy". Beth stood a few metres away, her hair blowing around in the wind. her face bright and smiling. She held a video camera out in front of her and filmed the little boy, who danced around the flowers, before stumbling and falling to his feet. A grin spread on the child's face. "Mama!" he shouted. Beth's laugh echoed through the meadow. She ran over and sat down beside the child, her face beaming. She picked up a flower with a butterfly sitting on it. its colours bright even against the yellow of the petals. The child looked on with amazement as the butterfly spread its wings and flew towards jeff. Jeff held out his hand and watched as the butterfly landed on his finger. He looked at the creature with admiration. The little boy jumped up from beth's side and ran over to jeff. "Butafy!" the child yelled. the butterfly flew away from jeff's hand, and jeff watched as the child ran after it in delight. beth looked on from across the meadow. her eyes landing on jeff, filled with light and laughter. Together they watched as their little boy jumped up into the air trying to reach the colorful creature. Jeff watched as Beth smiled and pulled herself up from amongst the flowers "im ganna getcha!" she shouted playfully as she ran after the little boy. jeff pushed himself up too, and ran after his family. As he caught up to Beth she stopped, watching the little boy run and play. Jeff wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck lightly. "thats our boy" he whispered….the dream faded.

A blanket covered her shoulders, she sat on the couch, coffee in her hand. her hair wet from the shower. matt walked into the room. "Are you alright?" he asked. They were at his house. She looked at him, "yes and no" she replied. her voice, quiet, but clear. A glimpse of a smile passed her face. "he's ganna come back to us" she whispered. Matt nodded. "Hes ganna come back because theres one more journey he hasnt taken yet….because our baby needs a father. Jeff always said, you only stop when you've gone as far as you can go. he's not finished yet." she looked to Matt. He looked at her confused. "you mean you're…." Beth's eyes grew glossy. Her hands moved to her stomach. "hes gotta come back and be a dad." she said. Matt smiled, then looked away. sadness washed over his face. Beth was right, Jeff wasn't finished yet….but was he going to carry on?

it was day 8. No change in jeff, and Beth sat in the armchair, one hand on Jeff's and the other placed on the chair. She leant forward slightly, moving her engagement ring on her finger. She remembered the day he had proposed. Out by the lake at sunset. It had been a calm night….just Jeff and Beth. Jeff didn't have any work the next day and they were spending a weekend at home just enjoying each other's company. He'd been nervous popping the question and presenting her with the diamond ring. She remembered the way he had wrapped his arm around her, and how they had just looked into the sunset and watched it fade in the sky. Suddenly something gripped her hand. Beth was shocked back into reality, where she stared down at her hand under jeff's. He had moved. She was positive it wasn't just the memory. He had gripped her hand. A smile spread across her face and she called for the nurse. "He moved. his hand, it gripped mine!" she said excitedly. The nurse smiled slightly but replied "it was probably just a muscle reflex". But beth was positive, he was coming back to her. She felt him.

It had been a week since Beth had felt Jeff grip her hand. The nurses, doctors and even Matt didn't believe her. they were all sure it was some kind of reflex. Something normal for people in comas. But Beth was sure. She went back to the hospital and sat with jeff and began to talk to him. At first it seemed stupid. The nurse on duty was always in the room watching and listening, but beth wanted jeff to know that she was okay. "Matt's maid cleaned the house the other day, and shannon is going to give us some new shrubs for out the front….the dogs are good. Kirby and TJ are looking after them until we get home. And the baby…." he hand moved to her stomach, "the doctors say that the baby's healthy." she smiled, but it faded quickly. She hoped with all her heart she could hear him. Her eyes moved across his body. She lay her head beside his hand, feeling his cold touch. 'i miss you" she whispered. She rose her head and looked him over once again, her eyes flicked to his face, then back to his hand. but something wasn't right. She looked back to his pale face. His eyes were open! his green eyes, stared at the ceiling. They were dull, but open. "jeff!" she shouted. His eyes moved to look at her. But his body lay still, and his mouth never moved. He blinked, but his eyes remained fixed on hers. She moved the back of her hand down his face, softly. He was still cold and expressionless. "Can you hear me?" she asked, almost in a whisper. Jeff did nothing, but his eyes darted around the room, before resting back on her. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them again. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. The nurse came over and wrote on her clipboard. 'Why cant he talk?" beth asked, panicked. Her eyes fixed on jeff's. The nurse flipped over her paper. "Because of his concussion and being in the coma….his body is only just waking up. This could take days, weeks, maybe longer." for the weeks after, beth never left jeff's side.

Jeff lay staring at beth. She was asleep in the armchair beside his bed. He hated not being able to talk to her. He opened his mouth and tried to say her name "b b b" he closed his mouth. His face annoyed. "beth" it came out in a tiny sound. "Beth" he repeated it in a whisper. he kept saying it, until it was clear. Her eyes slowly opened, and in a sleepy, fuzzy way she looked at jeff. "beth". He was saying her name. "baby, wake up" he said in perfectly clear speech. He went to lean towards her, but felt his neck crack and the neckbrace rub his chin. The pain kept him lying straight. he reached his hand for her. She blinked a few times before fully focusing on him. "baby?' she questioned. He looked at her, and a smile spread across his face. "Oh jeff!" she squealed. She hugged him in delight. he winced in pain. "im sorry" she said quickly, drawing back. "What happened to me?" he asked. tears bubbled in beths eyes. "you swontoned off the ladder, and hit the table and landed awkwardly. Your neck and tailbone and ankle…" she began. She looked over at him. Jeff couldn't move much, but he knew they were broken. He could feel it. "….you've been asleep for a month" she whispered. Jeff's eyes told the story. They widened in shock, his face crumpled in sadness. "i was dreaming….i had so many dreams" he told her. He tried to move his head to fully face her, but the pain engulfed him. "don't move, baby. Its ok" beth comforted him. Sadness washed over her as well. It pained her to see him this way. Of course, it was better than seeing him in the comatose state he had been in, but now he was awake and trapped in his own body, and there was nothing she could do. "Tell me about the dreams" she whispered as she sat down beside him. Her hand grabbed at his, instinctively. He smiled. "we should just about get them sewn together" he told her. "what?" she asked. "Our hands. You're forever holding mine." he laughed slightly. Beth withdrew her hand quickly. "sorry" she said. he smiled and lifted his hand to stroke the side of her face "you're not meant to undo stitches" he told her, and grabbed her hand in his. He told her of the dreams. Of the little boy in the flowers. She smiled, and tears flowed down her cheeks, freely. Her man was back…but was his body?

Weeks passed. Jeff was now fully alert. He could sit up with support from the bed, but his broken bones in his neck and tailbone along with his torn archives tendon meant that walking around was near impossible. Jeff was restless. He hated hospitals. The white linen, the sterile smell. The restricted view out the window. he wanted to be at home, digging holes, playing with the pups, enjoying life. He was frustrated. Beth walked in and sat a coffee down beside Jeff's bed. He looked over at her. "How are you today?" she asked, sitting down beside him. He looked out the window, then back to her "how do you think?" he asked, in a slightly harsh tone. Beth looked at the ground. "its just the same old shit. Sit here, look out the window, they bring me my meds that do fuck all. I cant move around, i cant even go for a walk down the hallway. How do you think i am? Shit! thats how i am." he was angry now. His eyes tilted, his forehead forming lines. His attention turned back to the window. Beth sat in silence. "not even enough meds…" jeff muttered under his breath. Beth looked up at him. "don't say that" she whispered. Jeff turned back to her. "Why fucking not? you try sitting here all fuckin day". Beth looked at him with concern, she refused to leave. Not when he was like this. "jeff…." she started. He placed his hands on the other side of the bed, so that she couldn't reach them. "Baby, i cant stop whats happened to you. I cant take away the pain, believe me, i would if i could. But the drugs aint ganna help…and you know what i mean by that" beth told him. her voice was serious, but at the same time, filled with worry. jeff shot a look at her, that told her that he was still annoyed. "they always help" he mumbled under his breath. Beth shot him a pained look back. Jeff reached for the vase beside him and went to knock it over. he stopped at the last second, and banged his hand against the wooden bedside table instead. Matt walked in. "woah, whats up with you?" he asked. Beth looked at Matt, water in her eyes threatening to poor out. Jeff was tearing at his hair, wanting to hold his head in his hands, but his neck wouldn't allow him to. "i cant…" beth whispered as she walked towards the door, brushing tears out of her eyes as she went. "Im not ganna top myself, if thats what you're worried about!" Jeff yelled after her. She left the room and found a chair nearby. She sat down, and cradled her own head in her hands and cried.

The next day, Beth leaned against the door frame. Her eyes looked at Jeff, he was sitting up, gazing out the window. He heard her, and turned to look at her. She stood there, unsure if she should enter or not. "its ok" Jeff said calmly, "im not ganna bite your head off". She smiled slightly and went over to the chair beside him. She almost lived in that chair for weeks on end now. She relaxed into the familiar creases. "im sorry" jeff stated. His hand found a part of the white sheet over him, and he busied himself twirling it round his finger. "its ok" beth replied quietly. He looked at her, and for a moment stared into her eyes. She looked away, feeling self conscious. "I asked them to take them away" he told her. His hand gestured towards the white tray where his medication was usually set out. "im sorry about what i said…i shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have bought it up. It just…this sucks being here everyday. I've hated hospitals since the day Mom passed away. I just…don't wanna be here. But i shouldn't have said the things that i did". His voice was calm, and apologetic. His eyes begged for forgiveness, and Beth gave in. "its ok" she repeated. Jeff shook his head. "no its not" he looked towards the window for a moment then back to her "im an addict….addicts aren't meant to have friends and family….and a kid on the way. And everyones just waiting for me to give in and have my next fix…" disappointment and disgust in himself passed his face. he felt physically sick. "Nobody's waiting, jeff." said Beth, calmly. Her hands moved to her stomach. Jeff's eyes moved there. "im not there for him. Im not looking after you, you're looking after me. Its not how it should be". Beth reached out her hand. "it doesn't matter how it 'should' be. It matters how it is. And its ok. You're ganna get out of here soon and do everything you wanna do. Things are ganna go back to normal…everythings ganna be fine." she assured him. There was a crack, as Jeff moved his head to look at her. He winced in pain, and moved his hand up to the brace. Beth winced too, she felt for him. Jeff reached out his other hand to her, she grabbed it and moved to sit on the bed beside him, being careful not to bump his neck, foot or move him enough to hurt his tailbone. She examined his arm, just faint cuts now, but bruises still evident. Jeff moved his arm to feel her stomach. For a moment they sat in silence. "think he'll grow up to be able to swonton like his dad?" Beth asked. Jeff laughed, "well if he does, lets hope he can land it better." The two smiled at each other, and beth leaned back to lie beside him. Jeff moved a single finger over beth's lips. "When i get this brace off…you gotta promise me something" Beth looked up at him, "whats that?". "You gotta let me kiss you for every second that you've waited for me". Beth shook her head "i told you that nobodies waiting". Jeff looked into her eyes, "no, but you waitED for me for the last 6wks and never left once. even when i was throwing my toys out the cot. And IM sick of waiting to thank you."

Beth pulled the suitcase out of the car. Jeff opened the door and stood on one leg, just staring at the yard, taking in the air that he had missed so much. Everything seemed so bright and colorful after living in a white room for over a month now. He pulled the crutches out from the back of the car, and slid his arms into them. Beth smiled at him "you right?" she asked, as she shut the trunk of the car. Jeff nodded. Beth wheeled the suitcase behind her, up to the front steps. Jeff hopped along behind her. As she opened the door, Lizzie rushed out. The little dog ran down the steps to greet Jeff. Her little tongue hanging out in excitement. Jeff smiled, and carefully balanced himself so he could bend down to pick her up. The little dashhound wriggled in his arms, licking his arms and face. Beth laughed "looks like someone missed you" she stated as she walked into the house. Jeff let the dog jump out of his arms, and he carefully made his way up the steps into the house. The familiar warmth and scent of the home, instantly took over. "Home sweet home" he said to himself. Beth put the suitcase in the lounge before putting her own bag down on the bench. "You want a coffee?" she asked, flicking on the jug. Jeff sat down on the couch and busied himself patting Lizzie. "Na im fine. Wheres the other pup?" he asked. Beth took a mug out of the top cupboard, and jeff heard it make the light tap as it hit the bench. "Oh shes at Kimo's. He offered to look after her for the day" she said simply. Jeff nodded. Beth finished making her coffee and moved to the couch to sit down beside Jeff. She took a sip from the mug before putting the cup on the table and resting her head on her hand against the couch. "Its good to have you home" she told him. Jeff put Lizzie back down on the ground, and watched as she ran off into the kitchen. 'its good to be home" he replied. He leaned over and kissed beth lightly on the cheek. His neck now free of the brace, but still slightly sore. "what was that for?" she asked, surprised. Jeff smiled, "coz i love you" he stated matter-of-factly. Beth laughed and took another sip of her coffee. "I wanna go on the bike" Jeff thought out loud. Beth laughed again, almost spitting out her coffee. "On crutches? With your neck the way it is?" she asked. Jeff laughed too. "maybe not. But cant wait to get back out on the track". He became distracted with a strand of his hair. "we need to dye it again" he told her. The dark blue had now faded to a sky blue. "want me to do it? or do you want me to ring up Stace and see what shes doing?" asked Beth. She reached out and examined his hair for herself. "You can do it. Stacey's busy with the new salon and everything. I've got some dye there". He shook her hand off his head "don't touch the hair" he said sarcastically. beth moved her hand and laughed. "its been quiet without you here" she laughed. Jeff tilted his head, "Im sorry" he said. Beth pushed his arm playfully. "you don't have to apologies!" she laughed. He pulled her over to him and lay her over his lap. She looked up at him and smiled "what are you doing?" she asked. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and leaned down to kiss her. 'making up for it" he replied.

Beth's baby bump was starting to show now, and Jeff barely needed the crutches anymore. The two were enjoying their down time. This was the longest amount of time they'd had at home for ages as jeff was always working. Jeff had begun to busy himself, painting the nursery. It was baby blue with white furniture. Shannon and Kimo were helping him out with the painting. After finishing the second coat of paint, and having tea, Jeff sat down to relax with beth. "you've got paint all through your hair…and im not meaning the dye" she pointed out. Jeff ran his fingers through his red and orange hair. "ill wash it out soon. The nursery's looking awesome. Cant wait to put up them photos we talked about." he placed a hand on Beth's stomach. Beth placed her hand on top of his. "i cant wait either. But wish that this fatigue would go away. Im so tired all the time from doing nothing. I hate it!" she stated. "Only 5months to go" Jeff laughed. Beth sighed but smiled at Jeff. "We haven't worked out a name for him yet." she pointed out. Without further question, jeff grabbed his pen and notebook and sat down on the bed, beside Beth. "lets get going, then." Beth laughed, she looked at the list they had written a few weeks ago. "I like Ben" she told him, pointing at the name. "Yeah ben's cool, what about Max?" stated Jeff, pointing his pen at the name. "i like them both" replied Beth. Jeff laughed, and circled the two names. "So ben or max? …and max jumps from the ladder….the crowd cheers!" Jeff put on an overly exaggerated jim ross voice. Beth laughed. "Ben's got the brass ring….hes climbing the ladder….wow did you see that swonton!" she joined in. The two laughed together at the thought. When Jeff caught himself again, he looked at the notebook. "Whatever we name him, i don't think i want him to be a wrestler." Jeff stated. Beth looked surprised. "whys that?" she had always pictured the little boy growing up to be like his dad. Jeff looked at Beth in her pretty sparkling eyes. "Because being a wrestler means you don't get this life…" he waved a hand around the room "you don't get this downtime. You just get a life on the road, and injuries. When you jump from that ladder, for a moment you're on top of the world. Theres that crowd chanting your name…..but then after that rush…there comes the fall. And then you're left like this." he ushered to his still bandaged foot. "and i woulnt wish this on anyone". Beth frowned. "But you love them highs. you live off that stuff. for that thrill and excitement…if you didn't, then you wouldn't go every week and travel the world for months on end." Jeff shrugged. "I do love them highs. I love my job. How i can wow like a million people at once just by throwing myself off the scaffolding. or how i can get them to chant anything i want. How people will boo and cry when i get beaten up. Its a great feeling. I love my fans. But its what the fans don't see…what you see. It deffinately takes its toll. I cant do this forever. I could've died that last jump. And it would've been all for the fans, a sacrifice for entertainment - which i think is a pretty cool way to go. But its not a cool way for me to go in your eyes…The fans don't see what id leave behind. They see 'jeff hardy, the charismatic enigma!' they don't see just Jeff Hardy - brother, son, fiancee and soon-to-be father. They don't see that. Only you see that." Beth smiled knowingly. She could see that sparkle in his eyes. It was true, all the screaming fans that waited in queues and carparks for hours for an autograph or a photo, didn't see the man that she saw. they didn't know the jeff she knew. "I see a lot of things that they don't see." she said quietly. Jeff put a hand on her shoulder. "And thank god for that" he laughed.

Jeff was almost fully healed. His foot wasn't bandaged anymore, but he still wasn't medically cleared to wrestle. He was just enjoying staying at home with beth and the pups. He went over to Matts one night with a few of the boys, and came home drunk. After crawling into bed, he woke up to Beth yelling at him. "Look at the mess you left!" she told him. She was annoyed as he walked into the kitchen, just in his shorts. "sorry" he mumbled. He wasn't in the mood for arguing, he was still hungover. "What were y'all drinking? Theres something all over the carpet." she continued, in her pissed off tone. "i dunno" jeff mumbled. He watched as she got out the vacuum cleaner. "Ill do that" he told her. She plugged it into the wall "no you wont. you never vacuum" she told him, starting the machine up and blocking out the noise. As she was vacuuming, she noticed something on the floor. She picked it up. Examining the tiny container, her anger levels soared. She switched off the vacuum. "what the hell, jeff!" she thrusted the container of pills at him. He looked at her with wide eyes. "I can explain" he began. She poured the pills into her hand and looked at them in disappointment. "I dunno why i bother" she stated, pouring them back into the container. "They're not mine. We had them at the party last night. Everyone was having one just to get amped up. I only had one, whats the damage?" he asked. He was getting annoyed as well. Half because she had found them, and half because she was confronting him about it when he still had a hangover. "You know the damage! God, jeff. I just try and do whats best for you. I don't wanna find you in some gutter. You know what happened last time! how could you be so stupid!" she angrily coiled up the cord of the vacuum. 'hang on a minute! I dunno if its your hormones or whatever talking, but don't go bringing that shit up. You can ring Matt. He was there. Fuck, it was nothing. Don't be having a go at me first thing in the morning." his headache pounded. They argued for a while yelling back and forth. After a while, both got more heated. "Just fuckin' leave it. I do everything anyway!" yelled Beth. "Well if you fuckin gave me a chance. Don't get up me. Go and lie down or something!" Jeff argued back. Beth picked up a glass and in a wave of anger threw it to the floor. it shattered. "fuck beth!" jeff stated, instantly going to pick it up. "Just fuckin chill out!". She yelled back at him. "if you weren't such a fuckin druggy then i wouldn't have to worry!" That hurt. jeff looked up at her. "Don't like it? Fuck off!" he yelled angrily. He picked up a piece of the glass and threw it back at the cupboard. "But don't fuckin get up me!" Beth screamed after him, yelling and cussing. jeff walked into the lounge. He heard further banging around in the kitchen. Suddenly there was silence. In relief, he turned on the TV and hoped that she'd calmed down. There was silence for a while and then a faint "….Jeff….." Jeff rolled his eyes. he got up and walked to the kitchen "whatya want now?" he asked angrily. As he entered the kitchen, he saw beth crumbled against the wall. Tears in her eyes. He stared at her for a minute. "…Jeff….somethings wrong" she whispered, tears streaming down her eyes. He walked over to her and bent down. "….i think…the baby. Jeff, it hurts…." she told him. Her voice broke and she clutched her stomach in pain. Jeff took a deep breath. "Ok….stand up for me and we'll put you on the couch" he told her calmly. She shook her head and grabbed his shoulder. Her eyes serious, but filled with tears. His mood changed drastically as he realized this was serious. "Beth, its ganna be alright. Im ganna lift you up and put you in the car and we'll go straight to the hospital." she nodded weakly. She closed her eyes to try and ease the pain, but it didn't help. Carefully, he lifted her up and grabbed the keys for the car. He sat her in the passenger seat of the car, and fastened her seatbelt. He went to close the door, but she reached her hand out to him. "Jeff….i didn't mean what i said. Im sorry" she told him. He shook his head "don't worry bowt it. Im sorry too". he jumped in the car, started it up and drove them to the hospital.

Jeff paced in the waiting room. He tried ringing Matt on his cellphone, but Matt was boarding a plane to a house show somewhere, and couldn't get off the schedule. He grabbed a coffee to calm his nerves and try and wipe away the hangover he still had hanging over his head. A nurse came out, "you can go see her now" she told him. He nodded and walked down to the ward. Beth was sitting up on the bed. "the baby's fine" she said as Jeff walked in. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her. "and hows the baby mama?" he asked. She leaned her head on his shoulder "tired…im sorry i went off at you this morning. I wasn't very well during the night so didn't get much sleep. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Jeff rubbed her back in a comforting way, "Its ok. As long as you're okay and little man is okay. Im ganna lay off the partying and everything. You don't need to be stressed out right now. All that stuff doesn't matter right now." he held her close and kissed her forehead. "I don't expect you to give up the fun because of me. I just need to make sure i get enough sleep" she told him. "How about we go home, and i make the bed all nice and we can both catch up on some sleep" Jeff suggested. She smiled, and her eyes looked up at him. "i think that sounds good".

As Beth woke up she found Jeff looking at her. "what?' she mumbled, her eyes still closed. Jeff smiled "you're sexy when you sleep" he stated. She kept her eyes closed, but smiled. The phone suddenly rang. Jeff picked it up, and propped himself up in the bed. Beth opened her eyes, and listened as jeff talked into the phone. He put the phone down after a while. "I have to go to work" he sighed. Beth groaned. "Why? you're not cleared yet." she told him. He sighed. "Na they just want me to do a backstage segment because they wanna start filming stuff leading up to when i go back full time. It shouldn't take long. maybe a couple of hours." He rolled out of the bed and chucked some clothes on. Beth was disappointed. "I'll be back before you know it." He pulled his hair into a messy bun and pushed his feet into his shoes. With that, he grabbed his keys and walked out the room. When he got to the show, he was greeted by Randy Orton. "Hey, man" he said, high fiving him. "Hey, looks like we're doing an angle together when ya get back" explained Randy. Jeff smiled and flipped through the sheets of paper Randy had handed him. "Sweet. Should be fun." Randy's eyes moved to jeffs foot. "Hows the foot? You didn't look too flash last time i saw them wheeling ya outta here. The downtime's always good, though. I love being home with my girls." Jeff wriggled his foot round, "Its all sweet. A few more weeks before i can be back in action. Yep I've just been chilling at home with Beth. Ha we'll both be dads soon." he laughed at the thought. Randy chuckled too. "Yeah, how far along is she?" he asked. "A few months yet. We've been painting up the nursery." Randy smiled and patted Jeff on the shoulder, "thats cool, man. You haven't lived life until you have a kid. You'll be a good dad, im sure. Hey, well i'll catch you round. Say hi to the missus for me. see Ya", Randy walked off down the corridor. Jeff flipped through the sheets of paper, memorizing the script as best he could.


	2. Chapter 2

After recording the segment, he went to leave the building. "Hey jeff!" a voice called. Jeff turned around to see Justin Gabriel running to catch up with him. "Hey man" Jeff replied, greeting him with a friendly hug. "Hey, me and Skye are having a dinner party this Saturday. Evan and Sarah are coming and i think Tiffany and Drew. Would you and Beth be keen?" Justin asked in his south african accent. Jeff smiled. "Sure, ill ask her. But we should be able to make it. i'll give you a txt a little later on, but should be fun." Justin smiled. "sweet, ill see you then", he turned to walk down the corridor.

Saturday night came, and Jeff and Beth were dressing up for the party. Beth was looking at herself in the mirror. "This baby bump really sucks as far as party outfits go" she thought out loud. She was wearing a layered dress and tights, and applying her makeup. Jeff laughed as he pulled on his shoes. "its just a dinner party" he told her, he was wearing jeans, "you look beautiful anyway. be proud of yourself". She smiled slightly. Jeff grabbed the keys, and they got into the car. The radio blasting old country songs. "Picture" by Kid Rock came on, and jeff started singing away. Beth laughed. They soon got to Justin's. They were greeted by justin in a suit and his girlfriend, Skye in a little black dress. "So glad you could make it" said Skye, welcoming them into their home. Beth smiled, and saw Tiffany sitting over at the table, while Drew talked to Evan. She went over, and tapped Tiffany on the shoulder. "Beth!" Tiffany looked surprised, and got up to hug her friend, "Wow! Haven't seen you in ages. You're practically glowing!" Tiffany gushed. Beth laughed. "So when's the wedding?" Tiffany asked, her blonde hair flicking around as she spoke. Beth laughed "not anytime soon" was her reply. Tiffany flashed her own engagement ring. "What about you and drew?" Beth asked, "Have y'all set a date?". A grin spread across Tiffany's face "In a couple of month's time. You'll be there right? You and Jeff." Beth laughed "of course we will. we'll just have to keep it quiet when talking to matt". Matt and Drew didn't get along. Tiffany blushed. "Yeah….its a shame. How is Matt, anyway? Found himself a lady yet?" she asked. The two girls sat down at the table to continue their conversation.

Meanwhile, Jeff was talking to Justin. "You'll have to come down to the ring in the woods one of these days. I'll teach you a few new things, if you want" Jeff suggested. Justin's eyes brightened. "yeah, man. That would be awesome." As the night went on, the couples all mixed and socialized. Jeff and Beth were almost never affectionate in public. At fan events and live shows, they couldn't, so by force of habit, they appeared as just friends in public. Anyway that didn't know them, wouldn't have guessed they were a couple.

Weeks past, and Jeff was called back to full-time work. After working a couple of hometown matches, it was time to hit the road again, after months of freetime, and get back into the routine of training, working out, and wrestling on a day-to-day basis. Jeff was painting his face backstage, as Beth looked on. "you just ganna wait out in the locker room?" Jeff asked, casually. Beth watched with intrigue as he perfected the symmetric lines on his face. "yep…you and randy tonight, yeah?" Jeff nodded. "Should be a good match to see. Hes a good worker….Hows Sam and his daughter?" beth asked. Jeff began to wash his paintbrush out. "Yeah they're good from what I've heard." came his reply. The loudspeaker informed him that his match was starting in 5minutes. "I gotta go, babe. See Ya on the other side" he stuffed his paints into his bag, and left the room. Beth moved into the lockerroom and sat down in front of the TV. Halfway through jeff's match, Wade Barett walked in. "Beth, isn't it?" he asked in his thick british accent. He sat down beside her on the bench in front of the TV. "Yeah" she replied, shyly. She didn't know Wade very well, and Jeff had never worked with him before. But she'd seen him around once or twice when they'd been talking with Justin. They sat in silence, watching the TV. Beth suddenly realized that Wade was staring at her. She felt self conscious and looked away. "What?" she asked. "whats a pretty girl like you doin back here?" he asked. Beth frowned. "excuse me?" she replied, "Im watching my man." she ushered at the TV. "Jeff, eh?" Wade asked. His eyes, not once leaving Beth's face. "Lucky man." Beth noticed that Wade shuffled closer to her on the bench. She shuffled away, but came to the end of the chair. Wade reached out a hand, and put a strand of beth's hair behind her ear. She shook him away. "what do you think you're doing!" she spat, going to stand up. wade put an arm out and pulled her back to her seat. He was close to her now, his firm grip on her arm. He leaned towards her and kissed her. She pulled away and tried to shake his arm off her, but couldn't. "Stop it. what are you doing?" she squirmed in her seat, trying to free herself of his grip. He moved his other hand up to her face and pushed her back in the bench, kissing her, before putting his whole body weight on her. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong. "stop it!" she screamed. Realising what was happening. She fought with her fists punching the air, trying to hit him. But his face and hands were all over her. "Help!" she screamed! He put a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound as he continued to kiss and feel her up. She tried fighting again. "Don't struggle!" he told her firmly, in a dangerous voice. Tears found beth's eyes and she tried to scream again. With all her might, she punched him in the chin, but his weight was still on her. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" came an angry voice. Beth couldn't see because of Wade, but recognized Adam's voice instantly. There was a sudden sharp blow…and her world faded to black.

"Beth? Can you hear me?". Beth's eyes flickered. Adam was sitting beside her in full edge attire - wrestling tights and a dark hoody. She was in a hospital bed and the bright lights hurt her eyes. "Jeff, she's awake!" called Edge. Jeff appeared in the doorway and rushed over to Beth, and Edge moved away. "Beth, are you alright?…I cant believe what happened….ima kill him. i tell Ya" Jeff's eyes were wide, his speech fast and worried. His face, overall serious. Beth's hands instinctively moved to her stomach. "what about….?" her voice trailed off. She noticed that jeff's eyes were red and puffy….his lip bruised and cut. Slowly, he shook his head. A strange feeling came over Beth. It was like the world had stopped spinning. Everything was frozen in time. It had to be a dream….a nightmare. This couldn't be happening. "They tried everything…but…." Jeff began. He couldn't finish. He looked at the ground, leaning on the bed with his hands. He didn't want to cry in front of her. Beth's eyes flicked around the room, still in a state of shock. "g g go" she began, Jeff looked up, surprised. "Just go" she repeated. Jeff's eyes filled with water, as he turned and left the room.

Beth sat up in the bed, Stacey arrived bearing flowers. Stacey was one of Beth's oldest and dearest friends. They'd been friends since high school and gone right through hairdressing school together. "Just lost it….as if it was my keys or something." Beth told her. She hadnt cried yet, but was slowly coming to terms with the fact that the baby inside of her, was no longer there. Stacey sighed. She sat on the bed beside Beth and pulled her into a hug. "Im sorry, hun." she couldn't think of anything else to say. What do you say to comfort someone who had just lost part of them? "Adam was telling me what Jeff did…after adam pulled wade off you, jeff finished his match. Jeff just went nuts, beating into Wade. Jeff came off with the cut lip…but i heard that Wade came off a lot worse." said Stacey. Beth looked away. She didn't say anything. There was a light knock on the door. it was jeff…bearing flowers and chocolates. "you bet me to it." he laughed seeing the flowers that Stacey had bought. Beth didn't look at him, or acknowledge him. "I'll leave y'all to it. I'll come see you tomorrow" - she patted beth on her shoulder, before leaving the room. Beth's eyes focused on the window. "Beth?" Jeff questioned. She didn't look at him. "Talk to me…please. just…just talk to me." his eyes pleaded with her. "its just…gone" came Beth's quiet reply. She moved her eyes away from the window to look at Jeff. he had a pained expression on his face. "What are we ganna do with the nursery?" Beth asked. her voice was calm. Jeff looked confused, "it doesn't matter right now, we'll sort it….Beth…." he paused, not knowing what to say, "…Vince fired Wade. I'll kill him for what he did to you." Beth could still see Wade's hands, pushing her down onto the hard bench. She remembered her losing fight against him. She became angry at the thought. "He killed our son" she stated, angrily. Jeff didn't know what to say. he reached for beth's hand….she always did that when he was feeling bad. She pulled her hand away. "Beth…." She looked away again. "I think you should just leave" she stated. Jeff was hurt….he moved his hand before standing up. Just as he was about to walk out the door he turned to look at Beth. "It was my son too….you're not the only one hurting."


	3. Chapter 3

"its my fault". Jeff was sitting at Matt's place, watching a game of pool between Matt, Shannon and Kimo. "Na its not. That sick bastard, barett. Its his fault!" Matt replied. "What if Adam hadnt of been there? All the sick perverted things he could've done to her…i wouldn't even have known. i should've been there! I should have never bought her to the show. She was carrying our son, and i just left her in the locker room." jeff became angry at himself. He slammed his drink down on the table. "Chill man, you gotta stop blaming yourself" said Shannon, his eye on the pool table, concentrating. "She blames me." Jeff replied. He lit up a cigarette and puffed the smoke into the air to calm himself down. "You both have suffered a big loss, she'll still be in shock. She'll come round, just give her time" suggested Kimo. Jeff watched as Shannon sunk the white to finish the game. Jeff nodded and took another drag of the cigarette. "Where is she at the moment?" asked Matt, hovering over a drink in his hand. "At Stacey's. She said she wanted to stay there tonight to 'get away' from it all". jeff couldn't help but think it was him that she wanted to get away from.

Jeff was called to be on the road again. RAW was going to be touring around five states over the next few weeks. He was enjoying relaxing at home as much as possible, before he had to go back to the constant moving and hotel life. As he was watching TV he heard the door open and then close. He heard her keys hit the bench and turned around as Beth appeared in the doorway between the lounge and kitchen. "Hi" he called happily. She leaned on the doorframe. "Hi" she replied. Her voice was an odd tone. She walked over to the couch but seemed to hover for a minute, questioning whether or not she wanted to sit down. Eventually she sat, but on the edge of the seat. She looked over at Jeff, a worried expression on her face. Her head tilted as she examined his face. "We need to talk" she almost whispered. Jeff was worried now too, "You alright?" he asked. Her eyes flicked around the room. "Im….Im ganna stay at Delana's for a little while down at Myrtle Beach." Her voice was still odd. "For how long?" asked Jeff. Beth looked awkward. "I dunno…until things are right again…" her voice trailed off. Her eyes seemed glazed and out of focus. Jeff was confused. He reached out his hand. "i think we need to talk…about deeper things….". Beth looked at him, her eyes wide. "Beth, we lost a part of us and we need to talk it through. We need to get…." started Jeff. "No." Beth interrupted him. She jumped up from the seat. It was like she was in a daze. "No…i just…i just need to go. I need to go stay with Delana." she seemed to be convincing herself it was the right thing to do. Jeff looked on, confused. "Ok…well im away for a few weeks on tour. Txt me okay? Or ill call you?" he told her. She looked at him with the same dazed expression. "yep" she said in the odd voice. She stood in the middle of the room staring into space, before springing to life and walking out the door again. Jeff could only look on, confused.

"Hey y'all, you've reached Beth. Im not here to take your call so please leave a message after the tone…BEEP" Jeff put the phone down again. It had been 2wks and he had tried to ring Beth almost every night. She never returned his calls. He had sent her txts every night to see if she was okay, and no reply either. He was confused. Out of the 11yrs they had been together, she'd never completely left him like this. They were always in contact. Even if they were fighting, they would still txt. It was strange not talking to her everyday. As he sat in the hotel, he looked around the empty room. Feeling bored, he pulled out his wallet. Inside was a photo of him and Beth, taken before Wrestlemania in their hotel room. He remembered that day so clearly. There was a camera crew documenting his week leading up to the big event. When they had come into the hotel room before 9am, he had been annoyed. They had taken all these photos of him in the hotel room and had caught a snapshot of him and beth lying on the bed talking. At first, they hated it. They hated that their only moments of privacy had been invaded by a stranger with a camera, but when the photos were delivered to them, Jeff and Beth realized that the photos perfectly depicted their lives. The image showed their closeness that was rarely seen by the public eye - but everyone still knew about it. They had been in a tiny, dark hotel room - their home for months at a time. And it showed that even through a hectic schedule, the two could always relax and wind down together. Beth smiled at the picture and took it out of the clear pocket of his wallet to admire it. As he pulled it out, another small folded bit of paper fell out. He picked it up and slowly unfolded it. His face changed to sadness as he realized what it was. It was one of the earliest scans Beth had had when she had found out she was pregnant. Just a haze of black lines and somewhere buried amongst them, a tiny figure that represented their unborn child. A child that was now gone - like the light of day faded to black. As Jeff looked at the image, he felt tears pricking in his eyes. That was his son…taken from him by a man he barely knew. He carefully folded up the image and placed it back in his wallet. Just a haze of black lines now, he thought. As he turned off the light and lay down in the hard hotel bed, Jeff silently cried for the son in the field with the butterfly….the son he would never meet.

The weeks passed, and Jeff wheeled his suitcase through the front door. The house was cold and empty. She hadnt been back. He put his suitcase in their room and looked around at the images of the two of them in frames on the walls. At that moment he picked up his keys and went straight back out the door. if she wasn't going to come home…he was going to bring her home himself.

About 3hrs later, Jeff arrived at Myrtle Beach and pulled into the driveway of Delana's. He shut the car door and walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Delana answered. "Jeff" she exclaimed, shocked that he was there "How are Ya?". Jeff half smiled "im good. Is Beth here?" he asked. Delana welcomed him inside. "She's just gone down to the store. She should be back soon" replied Delana. She ushered to a seat at the table in their glass conservatory. "Hows she been?" Jeff asked, sitting down. Delana sat down too. She looked at the ground. "She's….coping, if you could call it that. She wont talk about it. Its like shes blanked it out, almost. If you mention it she just walks away or changes the subject…but everyone has their own way of dealing with such things, i suppose". she replied. Jeff stared out the window for a minute. "She hasnt returned my calls or txts…." he sighed. Delana looked awkward. "Jeff….she hasnt cried yet. Its like shes still walking around in shock. Ive been waiting for her just to break down…i think she needs too. To come to terms with it all." Jeff looked surprised. "Im back!" came a call from the kitchen. It was Beth. "In here!" Delana called back. Beth walked in, talking away. She paused when she saw jeff. "Jeff…What are you doing here?" she asked, suddenly looking awkward. Delana looked from jeff to beth. "Wanna go for a walk?" was Jeff's response. Beth looked to Delana for help. "A walk sounds good. The weathers great out there. You two go, ill just stay and do some washing." Delana smiled and disappeared into the next room. Beth looked reluctant, but followed Jeff as he walked out the door and began walking down the steps that led to the beach. They walked in silence for a while, watching their feet sink into the sand. "How was the tour?" beth piped up, her voice cautious. Jeff smiled. "It was alright. But Adam snapped his archives tendon at one of the house shows. They're not sure where that leaves him as far as his career goes. Hopefully he makes a full recovery and can come back to work. But that guy's been working like a machine non-stop for about 8 months now, so i think a break could be good for him." Beth looked surprised "thats no good". jeff nodded and they walked in silence for a little longer. When they came to the beach, Jeff sat down on a sanddune and Beth sat beside him. "Its nice down this way" thought Jeff out loud. Beth looked out at the sea and watched the waves crash. "Its beautiful" she sighed. Jeff stared at her for a moment, watching her facial expressions. "Are we going to talk about it?" he prompted. Beth smiled slightly, but kept looking at the waves. "Theres nothing to talk about" she stated simply. "Thats not true." Jeff replied. He reached in his pocket and found his wallet. He opened it and pulled out the scan images. He handed the folded bit of paper to Beth. "I found this the other day. I thought you might want it." he said calmly. Beth looked at him cautiously, before slowly unfolding it. when she realized what it was, she threw it down into the sand beside them like it was on fire. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at it. Jeff picked it up and held it in his fingers. He looked at the images. "Remember the day we found out?" he chuckled at the thought, "April fools day and i didn't believe you." Beth closed her eyes briefly. "…And Matt's face when we told him." Jeff smiled. Beth looked away, trying to focus on something else to block her emotions. "stop it" she said quietly. Jeff continued. "And you were scared, because you said it would wake you up real early and that id sleep right through it.". Jeff was pushing for something now. He dug his hands into the sand. "Stop it, jeff." she closed her eyes once again. "Then say something. Talk about it. Show me that you care. Because god damn, beth. Theres only 2 of us in this, and i sure as hell aint ganna hurt all by myself because i know you're hurting too." his voice was stern. Beth looked away and drew circles in the sand with her finger. "Say something!" Jeff almost demanded. Beth looked up at him, her eyes glossy with tears. "What do you want me to say!" she shouted, "Yes it hurts! It hurts more than anything. And don't think that i don't wake up every minute of the night and think about how it would've been. How he would've looked. How he would've smiled. Because yes, i do wonder. And i wonder why i let it happen to me. How someone could so effortlessly take him away from us." tears were streaming down her face. "Don't think that i don't care. because i care! I care more than anything. Because when they took him out…he wasn't anything jeff! It was like i killed our son. And i couldn't bring him back. I was meant to look after him, protect him. And i failed! And it hurts, jeff! And i cant handle it because i don't know what to do! Because i cant fix it. What do you want me to say!" she was crying now. Her breaths heavy, her sobs in gasps. Jeff pulled her into a hug, and held her as her body rose with every sob. She was shaking and Jeff tried to contain her. He wrapped her up and pulled her close to him. He kissed her head in comfort. "Its okay…it wasn't your fault. Neither of us could have prevented it. But we cant bottle it up. We're both hurting. We need to get through this together…okay?" Jeff had tears in his eyes too. He held her close, and as they sat under the sunset, they wondered if somewhere up in the rays of the sun, their little boy was looking down at them.

They drove home the next day, back to Cameron. As they arrived home, Jeff busied himself making coffees in the kitchen while Beth unpacked in their room, carefully folding everything away. Jeff brought her in a coffee and they sat down on the bed to drink it together. "The nursery…have you….?" Beth began. "i haven't touched it" was Jeff's reply. "we should do that. Sell the cot and give the toys to charity…" Beth drunk her coffee. Jeff put an arm around her. "I think it can wait a while…Im ganna get some time off work." Jeff told her. Beth looked up at him. "you don't have to do that." she told him. Jeff shook his head and put his coffee down. "i mean proper time off. My contract's coming up….i don't think ill sign on for another two years." Beth looked surprised. "But you love your job" she stated. "I do…but i don't love the constant touring and the nights in hotel rooms. Ive been doing this for over 10yrs now. The WWE was our childhood dream. Im 31yrs old now…im not that kid anymore. Im not saying i want to leave it for good…maybe i'll go to TNA or something later on. I dig their lighter schedule there. Not as much rules. I dunno. I just think for the moment, i just wanna spend some time at home and enjoy life for a while. Because at the moment, unless i get injured, i don't have that downtime…and an injury shouldn't be a holiday - it should be a recovery period." he explained. Beth nodded. "You wont get bored living the quiet life?" she laughed. Jeff smiled too. "Maybe…but at the moment its like im living my life in a coma…its like im in one big dream that just keeps repeating…like my schedule. And now and again theres pins and needles in life that get stabbed into me. But because i work so much, they don't hurt as much as they should. I cant feel the real things in life. I cant be here for the moments that i need to be. Sometimes the ring is like a hospital bed, im trapped there. Theres no waking up from the coma until something worse happens. Other days its a sanctuary….i can go to work and preform and block out the world. Block out the problems. I just want to live for a while out of the coma…"

Weeks passed and Jeff was sitting in the middle of the ring. he had just lost a 'loser leaves we' match and he had his head in his hands. Half of him was sad to be leaving this life. He had known nothing but that ring for over 10yrs, and as the fans cheered and chanted his name, he knew why he had stuck around for so long. But the other part of him was relieved that as soon as that bell had rung…it was over. Now was the time for him to wake up from the coma and live his life. He flipped his head up and watched as the cage was raised. He saw all the eyes of the fans in the crowd. Their signs waving in the air encouragingly, and a loud "thank you jeff!" chant ringing throughout the arena. He stood up and looked around the arena, taking it all in. This place had provided him with so much. He had fulfilled his lifelong dream. He remembered standing in the same ring when he was just 16yrs old. How the crowd used to boo him when he used to job. He remembered the first time he got to run down the ramp as 'the hardy boyz with his brother, Matt, beside him. Their 1st wrestlemania, how surreal it was to actually be part of the biggest wrestling event of the year. To see the hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance. The bright lights - the exaggeration. As he looked out to ringside, he saw the announcers who had called his matches for years, always making him sound like the superhero he never was. In his mind he could still see the ladder set up by the announce table. If he looked hard enough he could even see the broken floor board from when he had swontoned into that table and almost killed himself for entertainment. A microphone was handed to him. He held it for a minute, just admiring the atmosphere. He thanked everyone and ended his speech with the only words he could think of to sum up his storied career - "its not goodbye forever…its only goodbye for now". He dropped the microphone and rolled out of the ring. As he walked down the ramp for the last time, he made sure that he slapped every fans' outreached hands in the front row. Thanking them for their support as he went. He stood at the end of the ramp, looking out at the only life he knew. He felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and turned to see his brother Matt standing there with him. The Hardy Boyz, united on a ramp with flashing lights and music and a thousand fans chanting "hardy!". Matt whispered into his ear "We did it, man. We made it. Only stop when you've gone as far as you can go. Live for the moment. remember that". Matt raised jeff's hand into the air and the fans cheered in appreciation. jeff took a final bow before walking backstage. He was greeted by Beth who instantly pulled him into a hug. "Do you feel like you've woken up from the coma yet?" she asked him as she wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "More alive than ever…its time to start living!" With their hands interlocked, jeff and beth walked down the corridor for the last time, hopped into the car and drove home in the moonlight….back to a life that they had always had…yet never truly known. Free of Comatose…..

The End


End file.
